Scott McTominay to Undergo Minor Heart Procedure

Napoli have confirmed that Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay will undergo a minor heart procedure after the discovery of what the club describe as "a mild benign arrhythmia".

The 29-year-old was taken off after 56 minutes of Napoli’s 2-1 Serie A defeat by Como on Sunday, with subsequent checks revealing the issue. The club say he will have corrective treatment "in the coming days".

Crucially, Napoli expect McTominay to be back in action after the international break in early October, underlining that the problem has been identified as mild and treatable.

For Scotland, though, the timing bites. The procedure and recovery period mean McTominay is likely to miss Sebastien Pocognoli’s first four matches as national team head coach – a double-header against Slovenia, plus Nations League fixtures against North Macedonia and Switzerland.

Those games were already shaping up as a sharp introduction for Pocognoli. Now he faces them without one of his most experienced and versatile midfielders.

According to the NHS, an arrhythmia is when the heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm. In McTominay’s case, Napoli have stressed the condition is benign and the procedure is considered minor.

Club and country will both want the same thing now: a smooth procedure, a straightforward recovery, and McTominay back driving midfields again by October.